SPEAKER_01 2:13

Good morning, good morning. Happy Friday, and welcome to this episode of the Hell Top Love Podcast. I'm one of your hosts, DJ Ann Wett, with my co-host, Mike and Hamaya. What's up, yo? Holly, yo, let's know who you are. Let's know who you are. There we go. Here we go. Uh this is the first time we've done this this way, and I think in the future, this is probably how it will continue to go. I like having a different co-host and the fusion of the different minds to help the conversation go along in a nice way. So that makes me happy. But today we have a good guest today, a really good guest, great guest. Her name is Coach Sade Pugh, and she's the director for Metro Elite Volleyball Club. Of course, you've been coaching for some time now, and of course, we found out that you were named Region 3A Coach of the Year for your work at North Middle High School. Before coaching, you play volleyball yourself at SC State and at WJ Keenan High School. Represent, my lady, represent.

SPEAKER_03 3:16

Yes, yes, yes, yes. I'm happy to be here. Thank you for having me on the show. I just want to um just thank you all for the opportunity. And yes, I have been coaching volleyball for a long time, actually since I've been 18 years old, and I'll be 32 in July. So um it's it's it's really been a great experience for me. And volleyball is just dear to me because I met all of my lifelong friends on the volleyball court. So that's why I just volleyball just has a dear place in my heart.

SPEAKER_01 3:52

From here, I'm gonna turn it over to Mike. I'm gonna let him take um the reins right now, and he's gonna leave some questions for you.

SPEAKER_03 3:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:59

So how are you doing this morning?

SPEAKER_03 4:00

I'm doing well. I'm doing well. I'm half I'm happy it's Saturday. We get to rest. No tournament today, uh, no practice today. It's just Saturday. Just relaxing. Mental break, Saturday.

SPEAKER_00 4:14

Excellent. So we were just kind of, you know, looking, looking over your uh your resume prepping for the show, just doing a little bit of internet uh stalking.

SPEAKER_04 4:23

Uh internet stalking, okay. That's how we do.

SPEAKER_00 4:27

That's how we do. And you know, one thing that we really noticed was, you know, physical education really plays an important part in your life and volleyball in particular. Uh and I wanted to know like what really what part of that really connected with you when you were a young person and what drove you to kind of make uh teaching and coaching the sport such an important part in your life.

SPEAKER_03 4:47

Oh man. Um I started playing volleyball when I was 12 years old. And I remember when I went to practice. I went to it was like a an AAU practice. I didn't know it was AAU, as you know, AAU is like um you're playing on the sports team outside of your high school team, which is way more in competition. So I'm 12 years old and I'm in the gym full of experienced volleyball players, and um I'm still underhand serving. Underhand serving because I'm 12. Most of the players are overhand serving, so it's a big difference between underhand and overhand, and I'm underhand serving. The coach immediately ran to me and was like, What are you doing? I was like, um serving, I guess. We don't serve like that in this gym. We don't serve like that in this gym. You better overhand, you better um open your hand and serve the ball over the net. So I'm trying, mind you, I'm 12 years old, I don't have that much strength. So I'm in middle school. And he said, he's just gonna stand on this line until you over here serve that ball over the net. And that whole practice, I sat back there just trying to get the ball over the net, getting the ball over the net. And I finally did it. It took me about my maybe 500 tries, but um I finally did it. And it was then that he was like, there you go, now you're ready. And that is like a big life lesson to me now that I think about it. I'm 12 years old, I'm trying and trying and trying. I'm not gonna give up because I can't. I'm just keep trying and trying and trying. It's hard, but I'm just keep trying and trying and trying. And that one lesson, that first day when I was 12 years old, is what connected me to volleyball because it was like mental toughness one-on-one that first day. And I think that that just just drove my life because I'm very um tough. I'm mentally tough as well. And I think that that day in volleyball practice when I was 12 years old just shaped my entire life that day to just be tough, be resilient, and just be able to just conquer any obstacle that comes my way. So that is why volleyball is so dear to me because it taught me these life.

SPEAKER_00 7:16

You mentioned playing outside of outside of the school system. Yes. What what do you think is really like lacking from the the athletic programs that we see in public schools?

SPEAKER_03 7:28

Volleyball has really evolved over the years. So when I was playing in high school, yes, it was club volleyball and AAU volleyball and high school volleyball. I think that the training is really what lacks in high school because you only really have three or four months to to learn a skill and to execute the skill in competition, versus when you're playing club in AAU, this is year-round. You're practicing every every other day fifty-two weeks of the year almost. Um, so of course, when you're practicing, when you have that volleyball player that that plays club in AAU volleyball, yes, they're practicing every other day, 52 weeks of the year, versus the player that just plays volleyball during school season, rolls over and plays basketball, rolls over and does track or softball, or whatever other sport it might be, the skill set is a lot different. You can really see it, and that is what I really um see at Keenan because a lot of I do coach I coach um varsity volleyball at Keenan. And I see that I have some players that play Club AU volleyball, and then I have other players that that that have the skill, but you just have to work with them a little bit more because they only play volleyball during the particular high school volleyball season. So training is definitely what I see is different with high school sports. Yeah, good point. You only really see it in uh the 1A schools and the 2A schools and 3A schools. Now the 4A and 5A schools, those players are playing year round and they're also playing together on their high school team. So those teams are dominating, period. They're dominating, period, because they play together all year round. But you have the 3A, 2A, 1A schools, they're playing all sports because it's not enough students in the school to just have that particular sport. And you want to share, you don't want to be selfish, so that's that's just how it is.

SPEAKER_02 9:52

I'm glad you mentioned that because I played AAU basketball and then basketball at school, so I totally gained more during AAU practice because like you said, we're playing all the time, and it's like you don't have time to rest. It's literally practice, conditioning, practice, conditioning all year round. Where if you're playing just for high school, you know, you can have a part-time job, you know. So you don't gain as much, like you said, mental discipline. So I'm glad you pointed that out because a lot of people don't understand how tough AAU is. Yes, it's tough.

SPEAKER_01 10:29

It's a job. It's an early job, man.

SPEAKER_03 10:32

Yeah, it is a job. And that's why most I would say college recruiters, I think for any sport, going for the AAU and club teams versus high school teams. Because they know these players that are playing AAU and club are mentally disciplined. They know what it takes to play on the next level, which is constant practice, constant just mental, I wouldn't say me mental beatings, because it's not really like this, but you tough on yourself because you just want to perform them.

SPEAKER_02 11:10

You step up. Like you said, you keep like you said, you were 12 years old, so you had to step up to be with the other kids, so you don't want to be lacking in that area. So you literally you gain that mental toughness to keep persevering. So I like that you pointed that out. Tell us more about the Metro Elite Volleyball Club. How did you get started and what are you trying to do there?

SPEAKER_03 11:30

Yeah, Metro Elite. So the name comes from um I grew up in um Columbia. Um, the Obama store on North Main Street. We call Columbia the Met Metro. And since it's where I'm from, um, where I met all my friends, that's where the name Metro Elite Volleyball Club came from. But starting the club has been in my stomach for a very long time. I would say for about two or three years, but I was really afraid to start it because it's so many other club teams, club volleyball teams in Colombia and surrounding cities. So I'm starting the club. Nobody don't come play for me. Nobody I mean, we have all these big clubs around. They they've already been established, and I was just afraid to start it. But I kept hearing parents just in passing, because I've coached on multiple other club teams across Columbia and outside areas. When I stopped, I just took a break for a year, but I would still go to tournaments because I love the sport. I just want to see it. And I would have parents um just ask me, You're not coaching this year. I was like, No, I just took a break. You ever thought about starting your own thing? I said, I thought about it, but I don't know. And then uh this one parent in particular, and I'm just gonna call her name. She just said, Shade, we need you need to do it. I was like, Well, is your daughter gonna play for me? She was like, Yes.

SPEAKER_04 13:03

What are you doing? Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 13:05

And I was like, okay, okay, okay, so I guess I'ma do it. So Bachelor D actually started during during COVID, yes. Um it was established August 2020. Yes, August 2020. Yes. So we were planning during COVID, we're having meetings, just trying to figure out the type of athletes that we want to come and try out for our club. And I did not want to start with like a developmental team. I just didn't want to start that. I just didn't want to start there. I wanted to get out there and market myself as a club that really competes. And I wanted those type of players to come and play for my club.

SPEAKER_01 13:50

And I'm gonna ask like how do you how do you because it's almost like you have to find your own pipeline of players, with uh especially with the amount of competition that's already there. Because like you said, this stuff's well established. Yes, you jump in as a small fish in a big, you know, in a big oh yes, oh yes.

SPEAKER_03 14:07

So I could just walk you through this. Um so her daughter is an elite player, she's she's really good, really quick. She can play pen to pen. Pin the pen means that she can hit anywhere on the net. She's she's very, she's a very versatile player. And I was thinking, how can I get other players like her to come and play for me? You know that kids nowadays love videos, they love promo videos. So we did a video, and when we launched, September, I think it might have been September or October. I'm not sure exactly when we launched, I can't remember. Because it's been a year. We launched a video, and then from that video, we got so many responses of players wanting to sign up for tryouts. It was good, it was really it was great. So tryout comes. We have about 20 to 25 elite players in tryouts, right?

SPEAKER_00 15:09

That's great. That's great.

SPEAKER_03 15:10

It is that we had 20 to about 25 elite players for tryouts.

SPEAKER_01 15:15

How many do you carry on your squad?

SPEAKER_03 15:18

Um, let me finish telling the story. So we were excited because we we handpicked a really great coach. She coaches uh on the collegiate level. She's playing division one volleyball, so she's a great coach. And this was her first year coaching club. So it was just great. We were offering something great uh just across the board. And we had these three 25 elite players come to try out. When it came to commitment time, we only had four of the 25 elite players actually commit to playing. Yes, yes. So we were like, oh my gosh, what are we gonna do? What are we gonna do? I mean, we I wasn't eating, we and my eating, we were just so like worried. Like, what are we going to do? We can't compete with just four players because it takes six to even play. Um so luckily, parents started reaching out to us, and we were having like individual meetings. We were just got out there trying to recruit, and we ended up getting, so we have a small team of eight players, and that's what we rolled with. And the other players, of course, this was an obstacle, we're new. Uh, and when you play club volleyball, it's an investment. So if we're new, and all these other players, they went back to their other clubs that they played with in the previous years because they're already established, they know what they're gonna get. So I'm just gonna say Yes, I'm just gonna stay comfortable with my club. I came to tryouts, I I wanted to see, I was impressed with tryouts. I'm just speaking from what I'm thinking, parents. I think I I'm I was impressed with tryouts, but you're so new, I just don't want to run the risk of this club sinking under and I've invested into this club. So I get it. I I under I understand it. They didn't tell me that, but I just kind of figure, you know, that is what happened because the other players they went back to the the large clubs um they were at previous clubs that they were already at. And that that was heartbreaking. I mean, I still kind of think about that like where is my couple of tryouts? You know, I mean, but you know, I've been talking to parents, my parents that actually committed, and they was just like, that's just how it is, you know, and yeah, that's just the game. So that's just something I had to learn, which I'm okay with it. I I'm good with it now. But let me tell you about our eight. They are competing. Um, they are really competing. We ranked number 18 out of 71 teams in our region. Oh, wow. Yes. Wow, that's amazing. I was just talking about what type of work do they put in, you know. Yes. That's amazing. We are ranked number 18 out of 71 teams in our region in our and open levels, which are the highest level to compete in. And we never came in the top, the bottom five. We never we always finished in the top 50% of the tournament. So that's great. You know, most new clubs that worry, you know, how are we gonna finish? You know, I don't want to, I don't wanna be out here losing. I don't want to see my child out here losing. I just don't want to see that. But we are really competing, and I couldn't be more proud of our eight when they get in the huddle, they say eight deep because that is what they are. It's eight deep, but I I'm super proud of them. Um they come from schools like Spring Valley, uh, Ridgeview, Great Collegiate. So those four and five A schools are the students or the kids that actually committed to uh Mentor Elite for the first year. So I'm happy with it, but it is it was it was very stressful in the beginning because we didn't think we were gonna have enough players to play. So we made it. We made it.

SPEAKER_01 19:32

Oh, good lord.

SPEAKER_02 19:33

Yes. So how can the community support you guys since you're still new and upcoming?

SPEAKER_03 19:39

How can the community support us?

SPEAKER_02 19:43

You know, can we uh you know just cheer on from the side? You know, do you guys need help with anything? Assistance from mentors.

SPEAKER_00 19:50

You got a fundraiser?

SPEAKER_03 19:52

I I think the fundraisers will come in the future. This year I had uh parents paid a fee, and that fee actually took care of the season. So we we we were happy for that. But we learned that um stuff comes up along the way that you have to pay for. So a lot of things, you know, with any business, your your own business, you you invest a lot of your own money into it also, so so it can flourish later on down the year. So I did invest a lot of my money into it, but I mean a lot of companies don't really donate without knowing the results of a team. So I I just really decided to not really really ask for too many donations until we had statistics to show what your donation is really going towards. Like, look, we did this last year. Um Kevin is our video guy, he's doing amazing work with uh marketing for us, and this is what you're in this because when you donate, you're investing also. So this is what you're investing into. It's not a club where we just take your money and just not doing anything with it. This is what we're we're really competing. These girls are really getting exposure. Like next weekend, we were playing in New Orleans. Right, yeah, like we're really out here just getting exposure. So I just want the community to just be aware that Metro Elite Volleyball Club, we're really competing. Like we're really doing what we said we were going to do, which is train, um get players mentally tough and expose them. And that is exactly what we're doing. So right now, I just really want the community to just believe in Metro Elite. That's all I need. Um and I think they're doing that now because when we go to tournaments, our court is flooded. They look, they're they're coming to watch, look at this new team. And I hear, I hear side conversations because of course I'm the club director, but I look like, you know, I look like a parent. Because like I said, I'm 30, I'm 31. I'll be 32 in July. One of the leaves I'm the I'm the club director, so of course I hear side conversations. Um like, like, yeah, this is natural this new team from Columbia. Yeah, like I just hear it all the time. You know, I just where is this team from? Oh, we're from Columbia. This is our first year, not knowing that they're talking to the director of the entire thing, but hey, whatever. For auditions for more? Yeah, so tryouts next this year will be November. I haven't really pinpointed a date yet. We're we're gonna plan for uh 2021, 2022 season. No, 20. Is that 2021, 2022? Well, the next season coming up. Um we're just gonna start planning for that uh when we come back from Nationals in Florida. So we're gonna go into AU Nationals the last week of June.

SPEAKER_04 22:57

So more expression.

SPEAKER_03 22:59

Yeah, yeah. But yeah, I'm gonna add a 12s team and a 14s team next year, and I think that's gonna be pretty um pretty promising because we're out there. People see that we're really playing, we're delivering on what we said we were gonna do. So I expect great things tryouts next year. More commitments like we had this year.

SPEAKER_01 23:29

But now I see why you told me, wait, wait, wait, let me tell the rest of the story. Yeah, I was like, I feel like I threw a little wrench in it, but you turned those lemons into lemonade, so that's what matters. Well, this leads into a good little um section of our questioning and we just wanted to ask about and I didn't even know that you were so young. So you're thirty-one years old and you're the director of this club. You have to deal with these these young ladies on a day-to-day basis, help them get through what they need to do, especially with the AAU is pretty darn tough. And so, I mean, like the big thing people need to know, and I understand this from playing sports as well, that coaches they are for the development of the participants because you all are mentors in the sense of being a coach. And so there are benefits associated with the coaching and the mentoring. They have been well documented, and the especially in our community, that's something that I think is necessary. It usually shows through well when it's done properly, and I mean it creates and teaches better social skills, it gives more models, it lets them observe adults in pop in positive situations. You can learn your little lessons that you learn on the field, they they go off the field as well. Learn how to have proper behavior, acceptance of things, time management counseling, and you get friendships. So um man, as a director, man, how do you how do you feel about being in that position? And what is your definition of a mentor or a role model?

SPEAKER_03 25:07

I really um strongly believe that if you are mentoring athletes, then you have to have some type of athletic experience. You had to have gone through it to be able to teach young the the up-and-coming athletes how to handle it. So I can't tell them, come on, you can do it. I've never done it myself, or I've never mentally put myself through any adversity on the court myself. So how can I tell you how to do this if I've never done it? You're gonna be looking at me like you can't say anything. I trust you. Um, so with coaches, I strategically find coaches. So I don't really advertise. I'm looking for a coach. Hey, do you want to coach? I'm not gonna do that. I'm gonna I strategically find coaches that have been through the fire just like myself or has been through worse fire so that they can mentor their players that are on their um prospective teams or the teams that they're on um currently. So a coach that I have now, like I said, she's played D1 volleyball. She is an assistant volleyball coach on the collegiate level. So she goes through this every day, you know, because college sports you practice year-round also, and she's a really good mentor to them, and they really look up to her. She's a really good teacher, and I think they really look up to her and they listen to her. But you do have some that I guess the the mental part is sometimes it just gets too hard, you know. And that is where I come in, you know. I vocational rehabilitation as a transition counselor. So I'm working with students in high school every single day. I was recently working with the mental health population. So I mean, I think that human services is just what I've been put on earth for. Just helping others get through adversity is what I'm here for. And I'm doing it through athletics, I'm doing it through volleyball. So that's how I feel about that. I can I can talk for days about that, but I can tell.

SPEAKER_01 27:23

No, but like you said, you said it's in your spirit, it's in your spirit to do. That's why I'm here. Yeah. Man, well, man's a blessing, man. Of course, you gotta keep pushing that. I always like to hear things like that, man, because especially at your age too, you're gonna be able to from that develop be yeah, your your stuff's gonna be fine. You're gonna have an issue if you're having that type of energy behind what you're doing. Do you believe that? Right, so you you think, and I understand this, your staff, they meet those that criteria of proper mentors to the players, they they show proper techniques, of course. And my question is, do you from from the young ladies that you work with, do you see them having better outcomes in school and at life outside of school from being involved in the club?

SPEAKER_03 28:10

Um, I want to say that they came pretty well disciplined. I I want to say that's what I was wondering. I want to say they came to us with a pretty good foundation. Their families are very supportive. Um, and their families are, I could tell that they have discipline in the household. So this particular group, they came already disciplined because they came from those bigger clubs also. And they gave Metro Elite a chance, which I tell them all the time. So thankful for you. Thank you for trusting us. So they already came in knowing the foundation for this particular sport. But I can also speak to the other part because I am a high school coach. Sometimes I see, you know, some some stuff there's a new foundation there. So I really see both sides with that.

SPEAKER_01 29:09

I thought that was interesting because uh they always do those studies on sports, youth involvement in sports, and the outcomes that come that you can get out of it. And I always have a weird relationship or understanding of AAU because I'm like, man, that's so hard. They're working so hard, they're beating these little people up. Are you feeling so bad for them? But at the end of it, like most of them actually have better outcomes than the than those who only participate in high school sports. And I know growing up, I only participated in high school sports. I didn't do any AAU um or anything like that, and I like the effects that it had on me, but I believe that if I had been in one of those other programs, I could see how like drilling, I know they always tease about like tiger moms in Asia, tiger moms pushing their kids really hard, but you do get certain outcomes from this. And I know growing up as a young adult, getting ready to start having children and just thinking about how you raise your children. Would you, if if you could, would you and would you all think that raising your children in highly competitive athletics is positive? It has more positive than negative.

SPEAKER_03 30:17

Yes. Oh yeah. And I know you're being biased because I've done it, but it's the exposure. We go to different states to compete. We're seeing um different things, we're learning different things. You know, we play in nationals, we're seeing different cultures. So nationals mean that these are girls from all over the United States, and you know, you're seeing different things, and I do believe that it plays a vital role in teaching them how to conduct themselves in society because you know, um it's it's diverse, and society is diverse. You know, you play at your if you're playing in high school, then I mean, dependent depending on what kind of school it is, if it's predominantly black or predominantly white, you don't really see much diversity. But when you're traveling to different states, competing, and also when you're traveling different states, of course, after we compete for the day, you have the whole afternoon to to yeah, to hang out and see different things. So I do believe that participating in AU sports and club sports has a a positive um outcome. And sometimes some some kids use it as an outlet to to get away from home sometimes. So it's definitely positive. You play AAU and club, you play AAU and club, and you get this college scholarship, you're going off to college, you know, you're away from whatever you wanted to get away from at home if it is that type of home environment. So it just has so many positives. I could I can talk all day about that also, but not not just to just limit only club sports to to having positive outcomes. This is just what I believe because what I've been through and who I am today.

SPEAKER_02 32:20

Yeah, I can totally agree with that because I remember when I was playing AAU, I had to, you know, wake up at a certain time. You just you're just more prepared for life. You know, you gotta be on the court, you gotta be ready, you know. If your ride or transportation is there, you know, make sure you eat in between the tournaments and make sure you get some rest and you're not playing around all the time. You really grow up. And like you said, you meet a whole list of people because when I started playing, I got to I was in middle school, so I got to see people that were bigger than me, you know, high school so you can compete with people that were older than you, so it makes you step your game up a little bit more to get on their level if you're smaller, you know. But it really does prepare you for life because at middle in middle school, I was not thinking about you know my my daily routine or time management at that time. So it really pushed you to grow up.

SPEAKER_03 33:15

Right? And I I do just want to add that even in when I'm coaching at Keenan or when a couple a couple of girls on the club team want to quit when it gets hard, I always say when you go to work and it's hard, are you gonna quit? No, because you still need to make money to take care of you or to buy whatever you need. So it's the same thing here. You're learning a lesson to carry over in life, you know. Just like I said, when I was 12 years old, I kept serving and serving and serving until I got it, you know, only having four players commit out of the 25 that actually came to tryouts. We didn't quit, we just kept going. We we said we gotta get out here, we gotta recruit, we gotta find some other players, and we made it. We're here. So I really just think that it just teaches you not to quit, not to be soft, to just be able to tackle whatever life throws at you, because I always tell players, you you ready to graduate, you ready to get out of my house, but life is something else.

SPEAKER_02 34:23

I tell them that all the time. You're preparing them, you're really mentoring them. I like that every day. So um as you know that you know, blacks are often underrepresented in country clubs and sports like tennis, golf, gymnastics, and swimming and volleyball. So often this is due to the lack of resources in their communities. So these sports they really do pay, they it costs a lot to be a part of these sports, of course, the traveling and then the training and different facilities. So in addition to that, opportunities for athletic scholarships for those sports tend to focus on the kids that are in clubs or like AAU. So one of the great things about Midlands about the Metro League is that you allow the girls the opportunity to compete in exclusive leagues. So, in your opinion, what can be done to remove barriers to club volleyball and underrepresented sports?

SPEAKER_03 35:23

And yeah, I'm just gonna be very transparent with this.

SPEAKER_04 35:26

I'll wait for this one.

SPEAKER_03 35:31

You know, that is another reason why Metro Elite was created. And by no means am I just trying to be rude or stepping on any toes, but sometimes with anything, volleyball can get really political. And and the players, I just feel like metrally offers this type of competition without all the politics. You know, my mom is a lawyer at this firm, or my dad is a doctor at this hospital, so you have to do it, you have to treat me the tight way because of my parents, so that my parents can continue to pay for me to play, so you can continue having this business. No, from day one, I made it known that we were not operating in that way, and that is what in most bigger clothes, that's what you see, which is fired as that.

SPEAKER_00 36:41

That's really the landscape.

SPEAKER_03 36:43

You know, sometimes culture can get political. I literally had a parent tell me, well, I'm a customer, so he didn't treat me as a customer. And his daughter, you know, wasn't performing the way she needs to perform. So if you're not performing the way you need to perform, why would you be on the court? What am I really teaching you? What are you getting out of this? You're not getting anything out of it. And that that comment just sticks in my brain. And as you can hear in my data, I'm still angry about it. Like, why would you say that? What does that mean? What are you teaching your kid? What are you teaching her that you're just gonna bail her out every single time when she doesn't like the way something is going? Absolutely not. You're not learning anything, and I don't care how much you pay. You know, I don't care.

SPEAKER_01 37:32

You know, I'm offering great work to me.

SPEAKER_03 37:36

Yes, I'm offering what I got. And if what I got isn't good enough for you, then this club isn't for you. So that is why Metro Elite was created, so that all the politics can be erased and we can just compete and get better and be better young women. Because that's what happened to me. And I turned out very well. So how I turned out, I just want to see other young ladies turn out that way. Yeah, every single player on my team is African American. And like I said, we're number 18 out of 71 teams in the region.

SPEAKER_04 38:16

Dang, go ahead.

SPEAKER_02 38:19

That's amazing, especially because you said you just started. So that means you guys have been putting in the work and you've been training them.

SPEAKER_03 38:25

Yeah, and it's just a stigma. Like it's a stigma that African American players only know how to play basketball. We don't know how to play volleyball.

SPEAKER_04 38:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:36

Yeah, because let me tell you, I played basketball my whole life and then my junior year in high school, I tried out for the volleyball team, you know, thinking I was gonna make it. Got cut. I was so sad. Cause you know, you have to make it to junior varsity. I mean, um you have to make it to varsity when you're um a junior. So I'm like, okay, I have to, and I was underhand serving, so that's probably why I got cut. But it that was a life lesson for me because now I know what it feels like to be cut from a high school team. I was like, you know, that's a life lesson. You need to learn these certain things, and it made me work harder. Yeah, yeah, yes.

SPEAKER_03 39:14

Um, so to remove that type of barrier, I just think that I know I'm not the only one thinking it because I have a team of of people who might think the same way that I'm thinking. So outside of the outside of the people that I have in my organization right now, I know it's other people feeling the same way. And I don't know, I'm not trying to start a movement or anything. I'm really not, but I just know that other people are tired of this too. Um because you know, like, come on, we can play, you know. If you have let's say you have a a mixed team, you have a mixed team of African Americans, a divide, let's just say a diverse team. And you have this African American this African American player that's a powerhouse, a playmaker, you know, you know, just anytime that the team is struggling to meet some points, this player is able to do it, or these players are able to do it that are African American. But you're not going to give the ball to these African Americans because of what you think, or that political part, you know what I'm saying? You know, that's not fair because the same way you guys practice and get wrected, we're doing the same thing. And you know, I applaud those girls on Kentucky's team, Clipson teams, all those, these African-American players are shining, and I'm just so happy to see it. I'm so happy to see it. And if Metro Elite can create those type of athletes to keep doing that, then I'm good. That's that's what Metro Elite is here for. And I just want other people in the community that might feel the same way that I do to stand up and do what I did too. Because it's enough place to go around for everybody. I was scared, I only have four. Look, I got a team of eight. Just as let's, you know, fight your fingers.

SPEAKER_04 41:20

Let's do it. I did it.

SPEAKER_02 41:23

Yeah. But I'm glad you mentioned the politics because that's kind of what makes you the kids not even want to play anymore because the politics, like once they start and and understand it, that's why I I could kind of put the basketball down. Um after high school, I was like, Yeah, I I it's not fun anymore. You know, people just they just take the fun out of it. And it's just like, I just want to play ball. But now it's like, okay, you guys are sizing people up, getting them ready for scouts, and then it's just a lot of pressure when you're in school. So I can only imagine, you know, AU on that level. Right.

SPEAKER_03 42:00

Right. Yes. Yeah. It you you um Kevin um travels with us sometimes to our um volleyball events, and I always tell him, Kevin, I just want you to know that you're about to see a whole world that you've never seen before. And I wish he was on here so he could talk about what he sees. But he was like, oh my goodness, you're right. It's you know, just like those basketball tournaments where it's slights of people, droves of people, that is the same for volleyball. It is droves of people, and it is getting bigger and bigger and bigger, and I'm just happy that Metro we have a seat at the table right now.

SPEAKER_02 42:46

Um how do you handle parents, you know, with the the coaching aspect?

SPEAKER_03 42:51

I don't know, this year has been really good. And like I said, I've had really supportive parents. Like I haven't really had any difficulties with parents because I think these are the parents that that was tired of what I mentioned earlier. And they were just so happy to be a part of something that's really for their daughters, you know, that's really that's really for molding them into productive young women after they finish volleyball, or even if they play volleyball on the next level, which if you play club nine times out of ten, that's your end goal. That's what you want to do. And we I'm just I think that this year has just been phenomenal. Like for my club communication, I do a newsletter um every week where I try to do it every week, um, or every other week. And sometimes I just write notes in there just saying thank you so much, you know, for being supportive, um, because parents are also what makes your program, you know. They can even they can make it or break it. And I've just been so blessed to just have supportive parents. Even my my assistant director, she's a parent, and you know, she just keeps me on my toes because I always go to her and say, You think parents uh are like this if I say this? Or what do you think parents are gonna think um if I do this? So I always ask her her opinion first, and she's just been phenomenal for me this year. So I I have the support of parents. The previous years when I've been coaching, like I said, I had that one parent come to me and say, Well, I'm a customer, I think that you should um deliver, you know, what whatever he said, but all I remember is saying you should look at me as a customer. And if I'm not happy, I guess the union make me happy. I don't want naturally we we just don't want those type of parents. And like I said, yeah, security, but come on, exit, exit come on, come here. Come on, just just come on up out of here. Come on, we're not dealing with that. And um, I make that known from the jump. At the beginning of the year, I had individual parent meetings, and I I believe that you put the expectations on the table in the beginning. Yes. Um you signed this contract saying that you understood what I'm saying and you agree with the terms of this team, and we're gonna rock and roll after you sign. And you just put it all up there up front, and I think that has worked amazing for me this year. So I really don't really have any complaints about parents this year. They are just phenomenal.

SPEAKER_01 45:26

Man, it's a blessing, man.

SPEAKER_03 45:27

Um That is a blessing. Yes, it really is.

SPEAKER_01 45:30

Have you seen, and this is just a side question, but like as an all black volleyball team moving around and going from where you're going, have the the rest of the culture have they been pretty inviting?

SPEAKER_03 45:42

Yeah, they they have been. And that's why I say But that's why I said at the beginning, and when you mentioned Black Sea underrepresented, because we are being underrepresented, but I I'm hoping that's really changes that in the upcoming years. Um but they have been so inviting. Like the commissioner, our region, he is he was when I emailed him and said I want to start a club, he told me what I needed to do, put me in touch with the the right people, and they have been very, very inviting. I haven't had any, you know, any hiccups with any other club directors across South Carolina, Columbia, and surrounding cities. So it's it's all been it's all been positive. They have been inviting. But it, you know, I think it's still that sigma, you know, I'm a small club, I'm not gonna be here in the next couple years, but I'm I just want to let everybody know that I am gonna be here in the next couple years, the next five to ten to twenty years if I can be. Like I said, I'm 31. Yeah, you know, I could do this until I'm 50, you know, 55, 60. You have club directors that age. So I mean, I'm here.

SPEAKER_01 46:53

You could be building a legacy, that's what I'm saying. Like that's what you're doing.

SPEAKER_03 46:56

Exactly. I am here to stay. My child is five years old, and when she's six or seven, she's gonna be playing on the 12th team. Hopefully. I mean you know, we're just creating um, we're just creating a pathway for for the children that are coming up. That's what I believe. This year it was strategic. I didn't want a developmental team. I wanted to come out competing to get the interest, and I think that I have the interest, so now I can add that 12s team. And typically, when you have a 12s team, they stay with you 12, 13, 14, 13, 60, 17, 18, 19. And then you start to cycle all over it. I'm just excited for for the years to come and we're here to stay.

SPEAKER_01 47:42

Man, that leads into this next question. Cause it seems like you have this thing, like you understand what's going on because you've competed in it, you've seen the life, you know what it is and how it works. Um, but usually there's some stumbling blocks to starting a youth club. It's just knowledge and know-how, knowing what's going on. Have you dealt with any legal issues in creating a in the creation of the club? Because I know for listeners out here who may want to start this type of thing, there may be some things they need to know outside of just getting the players, making sure you have finances, but some legal aspects. Like you said, it generally puts you in contact with the right people so that you can get it done properly.

SPEAKER_03 48:18

Right. So legally, I haven't had any hiccups on the legal side. Excuse me, because I think when you write a a con you write a contract, and you have parents and players sign that contract in the beginning of the season. When we did our contract, like I said, I had I held a meeting and I actually read the entire contract to the parents myself.

SPEAKER_04 48:46

That is no. We're doing all kinds of business practices right now.

SPEAKER_03 48:51

We read it together. We read it together.

SPEAKER_01 48:57

That's dangerous. She read it out. She told me what was in it.

SPEAKER_03 49:01

Yes, we read it together, you know. I read it aloud and they followed. And when they initialed, they understood. And I I made sure I left enough room for questions. If you had any questions about what you're signing, let me know. And I kept saying that as I was reading the contract with them. Like I said, I was reading it aloud and they were following. So we we were all reading and comprehending exactly what um what I wanted to happen with the club and what I was not going to deal with this club season and your future club season. So I feel like when you put that contract in place in the beginning and they sign it, they understand. And I travel with my contracts everywhere I go. Just in case.

SPEAKER_01 49:52

And those contracts they contain they contain stuff containing the travel for the players, practice, financial commitment, all that stuff, right? All those things.

SPEAKER_03 50:01

Everything. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 50:04

How did you create your contracts? Like, what what what like where'd you do that at?

SPEAKER_03 50:07

The region actually has like a draft contract on the website. Like, he gives us all kinds of resources to be successful. Now, he's not the type to tell you what to do because you're a club director. You should know you should know how to read. You should know how to pull what you need. He gives you the resources. He he he he he really did great with that. And you know, if you have a question, you can email him or text him and he'll email you back and take you back. So he's he's great. I I have the the region itself is great. And I just followed the resources, I followed a draft that he had. I made, I put in what I want to put in to pertain to Metro Elite, and I actually and I went from there. You know, I even have a chain of command, you know. If you have a complaint, then you talk to our team mom. I have a team mom, like she's she's designated as the parent liaison, because you can't have parents coming up to you 24-7, you know. It filters, you know, you talk to the team mom, the team mom communicates to myself, and I communicate to her, and she'll communicate it back. Now, if it gets difficult, then yes, I I always open up and say, feel free to contact me at any time. And and they do, they do, but they they typically respect the chain of command I put in place because they signed in the beginning that you understood that that is how you're supposed to go about you know doing any complaints or anything like that. And I haven't had much this year. I'm just I just think that putting a foundation in the beginning is very important. That's why I said I read it to them so you can understand, and they were all very interesting and supportive. So legally, I think we're fine. Financially, with me uh being new to open having my own business and new to running a club, I should have known to have some money in the pot, but I really didn't have anything. Like I said, I really was just going off of my own budget, and gym space is really something that's suit that's very expensive because you're paying for gym space from November to June. Good lord. That's half a year. That's half a year. Yes, yeah, yes, that's half a year that you're paying to practice every week. And I don't I I we that caught us for a loop because we didn't think that we were gonna have to pay to gym space. Because uh, like I said, we started during COVID, and a lot of gyms that we had outlined to use were closed. So we had to figure out a plan B, you know, and we were paying for gym space, and that's just something that we didn't really um plan for. And we also didn't plan for when things come up like having to order additional jerseys or, you know, if we did have a player join us, so we got an additional player to finish nationals with us. So that's great. We didn't know that we should have had jerseys just waiting for extra players if we worked for players or yeah, we didn't know to do that. And uh when we ordered jerseys, he said, Do y'all rather have do y'all just want to have a couple jerseys, a couple blank jerseys? Because our jerseys are um customized with their last name on it. Oh gosh. We were like, well, we don't have extra players, and you know, I think we're gonna be good, not knowing that we want to pick up additional players. Yeah, not knowing that we were gonna pick up additional players. I guess he knew we might have done that. That's why he kind of asked us. He's like a member C.

SPEAKER_01 53:49

He didn't believe me.

SPEAKER_03 53:52

Why you just didn't tell me why you asked me that, sir, so I could be prepared.

SPEAKER_04 53:55

I'm interested in the city.

SPEAKER_01 53:56

That's that's part of the learning experience. That learning curve, you gotta pick that up. You're like, oh, oh, that's why he hinted.

SPEAKER_03 54:02

Yes, yeah, yeah. And just like different things that just come out throughout the year. I just think that you have to have a certain amount of money allotted for that, like the emergency fund or you know, extra jerseys, and then you know, we didn't even have to we gotta buy equipment like balls and uh ball carts or training training equipment. So, I mean, maybe donations probably would have been instrumental, you know. But I just m me personally, I just didn't want to ask for donations without them knowing what they're donating for, because it's millions of sports teams out here. But I just want our future donors to know that what we're doing is is really for the culture, you know. Come on, let's let's support these young women being better and being better on the court, outside of the court, mentally, just just well-rounded individuals. That that's what we're doing. That's that's that's why Metro Elite is here.

SPEAKER_01 55:06

But you don't have to, I don't think based on your results, I don't think you have to worry about being seen like a Dr. Umar Johnson. I think you should be able to get you some donations. People know that you're building something that's correct and that's real. And of course, like you said, you're putting the this type of effort behind it, it's gonna continue on for years. So man, it's amazing.

SPEAKER_03 55:25

And I guess also knowing how to ask for donations.

SPEAKER_02 55:28

Um I mean yeah, you need to help you need to help fundraising because I am so much of a creative, like I can just think of ideas the way that I can help you guys. You see me?

SPEAKER_03 55:42

That's that is a way that the community can help me because I mean personally, it takes every last bone in my body to ask for help. Like in my personal life, if if I'm struggling, ooh, I'm gonna struggle. See, I can't struggle anymore. I'm just not gonna ask for help. I'm just doing this on my own. And I guess rolling into this business, I I I probably was thinking that way also. Like, I'm not gonna ask for help, which I mean, I I need help. And I realize that, and you you can't run a business without community help. I I see that. And I guess just maybe I need to go through a class, you know, just getting because I mean sending out letters to businesses is fine. You might you might get you might get a response and you might not, but I don't know. That that's what I mean.

SPEAKER_01 56:38

And that's what Tamaya was offering it because she's she's great at it. She could come up with ways for you to do that.

SPEAKER_02 56:44

Yeah. Yeah, I'm just really creative. Like I can just think of ideas and it just comes out the top of my head. But it's great that you have Kevin doing your visuals because the visuals will help with your marketing and advertising, you know, just get a portfolio together and then you have that.

SPEAKER_03 57:01

You know, like what do I put in the portfolio? So I think that I think that's an area that I need improvement in. And you know, I'm not even though I'm I'm the type where I don't like to ask for help, but I'm also the type to know when I need help. And that that that is an area that I'm not strong in, and I can definitely use improvement in that area, like marketing and just getting out there and and just getting more engaged with the community versus just them seeing us playing and Yeah, because they want to see your hard work when I like to say like closed mouths don't get fed.

SPEAKER_02 57:36

So if people don't see what you do behind the scenes, you know, they're not gonna know how much work you put in. I like to support people who I know are working hard and can be inconsistent. So you know, if I've seen that, you know, I'll be willing to donate help or even refer people to you or repost something that can help that can big bring more people to your audience, you know, to drive more people to your page or to your website, or you know, if anyone wants to be a speaker or a mentor for a stimulus young ladies, you know.

SPEAKER_03 58:06

I we do have an Instagram page and a Facebook page, but I I kind of run it myself. You know, I'm busy, I'm really busy, and I just feel like social media is a job within itself. You have to have someone higher separately to do that, and I'm learning that because I'm like I'm talking, I'm I'm having a conversation, I see this great play on the court. Dang, I didn't catch that great play. That would have been good for an Instagram page, but I didn't catch it because I'm over here because I'm over here holding a conversation, or I don't know, like when I'm at tournaments, I'm in director mode. Like I'm just trying to make sure everything runs smoothly, parents are happy, the kids aren't getting injured, cultures are being treated well. That's the mode that I'm in. I mean, I'm watching the game, like sometimes a home appearancy. You didn't see that? I'm looking at it, but my mind is just turning constantly when I'm at tournaments. It's it's work, it's a job for me. And I'm trying to be on Instagram trying to shoot this too. I can't.

SPEAKER_04 59:13

I can't.

SPEAKER_03 59:13

So I think in the future, I'm gonna have to hire someone for social media, like for the marketing piece. So I'm learning that. That's something that I'm learning. Like, I have to get somewhere separate through that. And I want our Instagram page to jump. Like, it's this club out of Georgia club A5. Their Instagram page is phenomenal. I mean, they I think they have people recording practices, like they have mic ups in practice, which I'm like, dang, I I'm gonna get my Instagram like that. I'm gonna get my Instagram like that.

SPEAKER_04 59:45

Don't worry.

SPEAKER_03 59:46

Yes, don't worry. We got you, we got you. Yes, today. Yeah, please help me.

SPEAKER_04 59:52

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 59:53

So um what current projects related to your club um are you currently working on?

SPEAKER_03 59:59

And are you working on any other club act sport activities within um so right now I'm trying to work on planning summer clinics because summer clinics is just training sessions, and of course, with those training sessions, you get more interest. So I think that's another form of marketing, kind of, you know, come out, we can train you. Yeah, you also find out what Metro Elite is about, and hopefully you'll complete for Metro League for the club season. So we're planning that and also doing spring conditioning for my high school team. So when I tell you that I'm coaching or doing something verbile related every day of the year, I'm definitely doing something every day of the year, and I'm also trying to incorporate um personal training because a parent came to me and asked me if I could train their child. Of course. I just had to find the time to do it, but of course, I I squeeze it in some type of way. I I you know, if if I can help another child if or a young lady, then by all means I would do it. Like I said earlier, I really believe that that is my divine purpose on earth is to help others. And if I can do it, I will. So that's that's what I'm currently working on. Trying to get more, get more players for the upcoming year, plan summer training, summer clinics, and also incorporate personal training with Metro Elite. So just adding on different components to the business, pretty much. And how do we find you or how do parents find you if they're in the website www.metroelitevolleyball.com. Our Instagram is Metro Elite Volleyball underscore, or you can email me, Metroelite VBA3 at gmail.com. Um and this is another thing. We actually have a domain. Um I don't I don't even know how to work that, so I need to. Like the email, uh it could be uh shade at metroelitevol.com. I have that. I just don't know how to use it. So maybe I need to go through a tech class with that. So I just got a Gmail to where I know how to operate a Gmail mail account. Um, but I actually have a domain. I brought it. It's just sitting there, I think. You know, I have the website, but the the email address, I haven't really figured out how to get through that. So maybe there's something else I need to work on figuring out for next year. Man, you got it.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:43

Man, one step at a time, one step at a time. You've done you've done a good job thus far. I mean, great job. Yep, a little bit at a time, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:50

And I just, you know, I just want to thank my friends have been very supportive. Like they've come to my tournaments. We we don't really play locally, like we're Rock Hill, and that's the most local. We've really been out out of out of town most of the time, and my friends actually travel to come see us play and to just support support what I'm doing. And like I said, I met my friends through volleyball. So they're very supportive. And also, uh my game mom, man, listen, if I can keep her for the rest of my life, I will. Uh, she's she's very, she's very good. She's very supportive, and she's honest and she's transparent, and that's what I need. And also my assistant director, she keeps me on my toes. Like if I forget something, you you better bet. She's she's gonna be calling me, reminding me, did you do this? Make sure you do this at this time. I don't think you did this, Sardet. Or you you need you need that type of partner that holds you accountable, not somebody that's gonna, you know, just be there and be afraid to tell you when you're wrong. So I I've just been blessed to have a good group around me, really.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:10

I wanna congratulate you on your success and your man, your energy, man. Energy and your determination to get this thing off the ground and rolling while you're also juggling those other things, man. That is awesome. That's all I gotta say about that. That's what I'm saying. I know that's what I'm saying. I can't uh uh this is podcasts I listen to, and anytime they hear about stuff like this, they call it excellence, urban excellence. And it's it's amazing to see you do that. It makes me feel lazy. I'm telling you, man, cuz you know, I'm like, we're not out here doing me. I don't feel messing up right now, man. I don't care messing up. Goofing off, cuz I can't, you can't say nothing about it, man. You're phenomenal, man. That is amazing. Um is there anything else you'd like to share with us before we conclude today?

SPEAKER_03 1:04:59

No, but since you, I just want to be funny saying, man, I'm lazy. I just wanted to tell you what my day-to-day looks like. So I get up uh 5 30 in the morning, so I go through my work day. I work extremely hard at work because our job is kind of demanding. Like I'm saying, I work in human services. So you want to make sure you're you're delivering the services to your consumers, you know, your clients that you're working with. You want to make sure that they're good. And also I do that from 7.30 to 4. Um, then I work at 4. I make sure I get my daughter uh situated, and I go to practice, and then I'm there from about 4:35 to about 7.38 at night. We get home at 8 o'clock at night. My my daughter knows immediately go straight to the bathtub. We don't have time, we don't have time because we need to be in bed by 10 o'clock, so we can have a good night's sleep, so you get up in the morning. So, mind you, I ain't even meet, right? That's what it is like. Do you eat?

SPEAKER_02 1:05:57

Oh no, yeah, that is gold. That's gum mode. That's goma.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:07

I was like, no. That's what it's like. Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:11

I just want to be funny about that. She said you being lazy.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:18

All right, that was a nice that was a that was a good swift kick to the ass. I'll take that one, man. I ain't never heard it said like that. I'm gonna tell I'm gonna tell you, I'm gonna play this one back. Just keep hearing that piece over and over again. All right, man. Um, I'm gonna let you get back to handling your business, but I just want to say thank you so much. I appreciate you joining us today, giving us your time, your energy to let us know what a young boss is out here doing here in the metro, um, putting it down for the culture, actually showing up and showing out. So, man, I I gotta give you kudos for that. So I'm gonna thank you immensely for that for joining us today. And this is our 13th episode. 13 is a lucky number. So I hope, I hope we can get some help running your way. We're gonna do our best to make sure that we help to spread your information and any any way in which we can be of assistance for you, man. Please reach out and contact us. Of course, you you know my brother Kevin, you see him all the time. That's a disclaimer. You all she does work with my brother, so we do know she knows she knows her pretty well. But um, anything you can do, of course, just let us know. We'll make sure we support. Um, even when we have daughters and they're coming up, we'll make sure we send them to your your volleyball club.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:29

Yeah. Just make sure, just let them know. Um, you know, we're gonna be tough on them, but they're gonna be messing with or whatever.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:36

So I'm talking about it.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:38

Thank you so much. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:42

That's it for today's episode of the Hill Talk Club Podcast. Make sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and other platforms. Also follow us on Instagram and Facebook and HillTalk Club.